This invention pertains to structure (a kit) and related methodology for patching a leak of liquid from a puncture wound in the wall of a liquid container. Two, different preferred embodiments of, and manners of practicing, the invention are described and illustrated herein in the setting of making an emergency, from-the-outside, repair of a ballistic (such as from a bullet) puncture wound in the container wall of a military vehicle fuel tank—a setting wherein the invention has been proven to offer significant defensive advantage in a combat zone. As will be seen, the two, herein-disclosed embodiments of the invention differ in component count, and in specific leak-sealing methodology.
While, as will become apparent, the invention has significant utility in other settings, it is illustrated and described herein in a military vehicle setting which serves to highlight the key features of the invention.
A special characteristic of the invention in its preferred form is that it includes a wound-patching component which possesses a “substance” that reacts to leaking liquid, such as hydrocarbon fuel, to create a collaboration with such liquid thereby to produce a fluid-and-“substance” triggered coagulant that swells to seal a container puncture wound.
Somewhat more broadly viewed, this just-above-mentioned component substance, whether or not effective to create a coagulant mass, nevertheless preferably imbibes leakage liquid, swells in size, and, with the structure of the invention positioned adjacent a container puncture wound for use, is confined and stabilized in such a manner that, in its swelling and ultimately swollen conditions, it applies progressively increasing, and ultimately robust, sealing pressure to close the wound.
In one embodiment of the invention, what is referred to herein as a patch body has a perimeter portion which directly engages the effective outside surface of a container to seal thereagainst in the implementation of puncture-wound sealing. In another disclosed and illustrated embodiment of the invention, a unique, washer-like, resilient sealing gasket is employed intermediate the just-mentioned perimeter portion of the patch body and a container's outside surface. This gasket functions to implement a somewhat different wound-sealing methodology. In both embodiments of the invention as illustrated herein, a unique hollow-stem, self-torque-limiting bolt is preferably utilized to make an attachment to the outside of a container of the type possessing a self-healing puncture-defeating coating which is there applied to the container.
Another feature of the invention comes into play in a circumstance, described herein, where the container whose puncture wound is to be sealed is itself externally coated with an intended self-sealing coating which is formed with a liquid-reaction material (“substance”) which is compatible with that employed in the patch-kit structure and practice of the present invention. In this kind of setting, the sealing response behavior of the invention uniquely collaborates with the self-sealing capabilities of such a coating.
All of the features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent as the description which now follows is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.